Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a lighting device.
Description of the Related Art
In general, light bulbs or fluorescent lamps are commonly used as indoor or outdoor lighting. However, these light bulbs or fluorescent lamps have a short life and thus have to be frequently replaced. In addition, a phenomenon in which the illuminance of the conventional fluorescent lamps is gradually lowered due to degradation caused over time may excessively occur.
In order to address these problems, various lighting modules employing LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) capable of realizing improved control characteristics, a fast response speed, high electrophotic conversion efficiency, a long life, low power consumption, and high luminance and emotional lighting characteristics, have been developed.
LEDs are a type of semiconductor device for converting electric energy into light. The LEDs have advantages of low power consumption, a semi-permanent life, a rapid response speed, safety, and environment friendliness, compared to existing light sources such as fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps. For this reason, much research for substituting the existing light sources with the LEDs is ongoing. The LEDs are now increasingly used as light sources for various lighting devices such as liquid crystal display devices, electric sign boards, and street lamps used in the interior and exterior.
However, a lighting device using light emitting elements has a structure in which wiring is complicated and exposed to the outside since a power unit is located at an upper portion of a housing or at a side of the lighting device, and thus wiring work is difficult and exposed to electric danger.
In addition, when a plurality of light source modules is used in the lighting device, it is difficult to wire the light source modules.
Furthermore, when the light source modules are connected to each other, it is difficult to address waterproof problems together with the wiring.
Since the light emitting elements are easily damaged by heat in the lighting device using the same, research for efficiently dissipating heat generated by the light emitting elements is ongoing.